ney; and they had
another festival in his honor, at the vernal equinox. Perhaps no
religious festival was ever more splendid than the "_Annual Salutation
of Mithras_," during which _forty days_ were set apart for thanksgiving
and sacrifice. The procession to salute the god was formed long before
the rising of the Sun. The High Priest was followed by a long train of
the Magi, in spotless white robes, chanting hymns, and carrying the
sacred fire on silver censers. Then came three hundred and sixty-five
youths in scarlet, to represent the days of the year and the color of
fire. These were followed by the Chariot of the Sun, empty, decorated
with garlands, and drawn by superb _white horses_ harnessed with pure
gold. Then came a white horse of magnificent size, his forehead blazing
with gems, in honor of Mithras. Close behind him rode the king, in a
chariot of ivory inlaid with gold, followed by his royal kindred in
embroidered garments, and a long train of nobles riding on camels richly
caparisoned. This gorgeous retinue, facing the East, slowly ascended
Mount Orontes. Arrived at the summit, the High Priest assumed his tiara
wreathed with myrtle, and hailed the first rays of the rising Sun with
incense and prayer. The other Magi gradually joined him in singing hymns
to Ormuzd, the source of all blessing, by whom the radiant Mithras had
been sent to gladden the earth and preserve the principle of life.
Finally, they all joined in one universal chorus of praise, while king,
princes and nobles, prostrated themselves before the orb of day.

The HEBREWS worshiped the Sun, Moon, Stars, and "all the host of
heaven."[549:1] _El-Shaddai_ was one of the names given to the god Sun.
Parkhurst, in his "Hebrew Lexicon," says, "_El_ was the very name the
heathens gave to their god _Sol_, their Lord or Ruler of the hosts of
heaven." _El_, which means "the strong one in heaven"--the Sun, was
invoked by the ancestors of all the Semitic nations, before there were
Babylonians in Babylon, Phenicians in Sydon and Tyrus, before there were
Jews in Mesopotamia or Jerusalem.[549:2]

The Sun was worshiped by the Hebrews under the names of Baal, Moloch,
Chemosh, &c.; the Moon was Ashtoreth, the "Queen of Heaven."[549:3]

The gods of the ancient GREEKS and ROMANS were the same as the gods of
the Indian epic poems. We have, for example: Zeupiter (Jupiter),
corresponding to Dyaus-pitar (the Heaven-father), Juno, corresponding to
Parvati (the Mother God